Comparative Politics of Western Europe

Catalog description

Europe has been the site of fundamental political, social, and economic changes in the postwar period. Episodes of integration and separation, development and crisis, characterize the dynamic nature of European politics. A brief introduction to the history and the development of the advanced industrial societies of Western Europe will be followed by a survey of the politics of the Western European democracies and the European Union (EU). The course's principal objective will be to enable students to analyze the political systems, institutions, parties, public opinion, and elections of states in the region. The final section will address the past, present, and future of the European Union (EU) and then will seek to assess the importance of European political integration for global politics. In addition, the course will offer students an opportunity to interact with and learn from governmental and political practitioners from Italy and the region.